


Make a Church Out of Words

by SecretMaker



Series: Tumblr Drabbles 2015 [71]
Category: Free!, Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Multi, Wordfics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-25
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-04-17 05:50:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4654776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretMaker/pseuds/SecretMaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles prompted by beautiful/cool/unusual words.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pluviophile - NitoMikoRin

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any prompts or words/pairings you'd like to see, feel free to leave me a comment, or let me know on Tumblr, and I'll try to fit it in.

6-4-15

Prompt: Pluviophile

Pairing: NitoMikoRin

Rating: G

 

               Rainy nights in Tokyo might not have been as much of a nuisance as in Tottori, but Seijuurou still found himself wet and miserable when he reached his apartment. He paused outside the door to shake most of the water off with a few passive-aggressive thoughts aimed at the crotchety old landlady and stepped in.

 

               “I’m home,” he called, toeing his shoes off. When he looked up, all the cold and exhaustion melted away.

 

               Rin and Ai had never disliked the rain. He had caught them more than once slacking off during practice to press their noses to the glass of the natatorium walls in Samezuka, and the habit had persisted long after. Tonight, they had set up camp in the living room, furniture shoved out of the way and everything set up to give them a front-row seat of the rain spattering against their window.

 

               “Permission to enter the fort?” Seijuurou asked, stepping around the sheet that they had pinned up. Ai beamed up at him and patted the cushion to his left.

 

               “Welcome home, Sei,” he murmured. Seijuurou flopped down next to Ai and wrapped his arms around him.

 

               “Shhhhh! I can’t hear it!” Rin hissed. Seijuurou bit back a chuckle and leaned his chin on Ai’s head, the better to watch as Rin stared at the window, eyes wide and mouth open. Ai leaned over and pulled the plug on their lamp, leaving the room dully illuminated by the fairy lights strung around the outside of the sheets. Seijuurou sighed and held Ai closer, admiring the way the soft glow played across Rin’s face.

 

               Seijuurou leaned back against a stack of cushions and allowed himself to drift. It had been five years since Ai had graduated from high school and Rin had come back from Australia and both had shown up on Seijuurou’s doorstep with a stack of realty flyers and a thermos of coffee. five years of living with the two men he had found himself so stupidly in love with. Five years since they had moved in together, six years since they had first gotten together, eight years since he had realized he was in love with the both of them. And every day was better than the last.

 

               Seijuurou floated back awake on the sound of someone humming. He peeled open his eyes to see Rin smiling down at him, carding his fingers through Ai’s hair. Ai snuffled in his sleep and nuzzled his face deeper into Seijuurou’s chest, and Rin continued humming, letting the sound of the rain fall into a steady backdrop. Seijuurou smiled at him, and he may have mumbled an I-love-you, but he was asleep before he could figure that out.

 

_Pluviophile - one who enjoys rain and finds peace of mind on rainy days._


	2. Lachrymose - IwaOi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is long and explicit.

6-15-15

Prompt: Lachrymose

Pairing: IwaOi

Rating: Explicit

 

               It was those damn fake smiles that drove Hajime over the edge. Every day, as soon as Oikawa was aware enough to function, he slapped on one of those blinding grins and the world seemed to melt around him. Every day a little bit more of Oikawa chipped away, covered up by his perfect public face.

 

               Hajime kept an eye on him as they walked together to afternoon practice. Oikawa was beaming and waving at his many fans, calling out greetings and inside jokes that had never actually made him laugh. With a sigh he pulled out his phone and sent off a mass text to the team.

 

               ME: [Afternoon practice is canceled due to Oikawa, Hanamaki, Matsukawa, and I being sick. Be here tomorrow as usual for morning practice.]

 

               Oikawa glanced at his phone in surprise as it went off in his hand. “Iwa-chan?” he asked.

 

               KUNIMI: [What, all four of you are sick at once?]

 

               MATSUN: [it was something we ate.]

 

               MAKKI: [one of oikawa’s fans made him lunch n we shared it. probably poisoned. were dying.]

 

               MATSUN: [iwaizumi threw up all over oikawa.]

 

               MAKKI: [it was nasty and therefore we shall not have practice this evening.]

 

               Hajime snorted. Leave it to those two to back him up in the most inconvenient way possible. Before Oikawa could comment on the group message, Hajime plucked it out of his hand and turned it off, tucking it in his back pocket.

 

               “Come on, Shittykawa. We’re going home,” he said, taking Oikawa by the elbow and steering him toward the school gate.

 

               “Iwa-chan, why is Matsun saying you threw up on me? Did I miss something?” Hajime rolled his eyes and dropped his hand.

 

               “No, he made that up on the spot,” he answered. “I would be impressed at how quickly they came up with that bullshit, but I doubt they’ll let me off without owing them for it.” They grimaced together. Owing Matsukawa and Hanamaki favors was not a position anyone wanted to be in. By this time they were off of school grounds and walking side-by-side toward their houses. They were quiet, and Hajime could almost relax. He could feel Oikawa slipping into a somber mood, and while he would give anything – _anything_ – to never see him anything but happy, the soft frown pulling at the corners of his lips were so much better than the plastic smiles he had been wearing that afternoon. Hajime let out a sigh as his house came in sight. He turned up the path to his door and Oikawa followed without comment. They were equally silent as they toed off their shoes and made their way up to Hajime’s room.

 

               Oikawa sat at the head of Hajime’s bed, curling his long legs into his chest. “What’s going on, Iwa-chan?” he asked. Hajime could hear the quiver underneath the false cheeriness he hated so much.

 

               “I wanted to ask you that,” Hajime answered as he came to sit next to Oikawa, mirroring his position. “You’ve been off all week. What gives?”

 

               “Aw, is Iwa-chan worried about me?” Oikawa crooned. He flinched as though expecting Hajime to head butt him. Any other time he would have, but right now he just furrowed his brow and hugged his legs a little tighter.

 

               “Yes,” he answered softly. Oikawa started, staring at him. Hajime glanced at him, then away. “You’re my best friend, Tooru. I’m always worried about you.”

 

               Oikawa was silent for a moment, then asked in a painfully small voice, “Why?”

 

               Hajime _did_ get mad at that. “Because!” he shouted. Seeing Oikawa flinch, he took a breath and continued in a softer tone. “Because you’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met. You’ve always been by my side, even when I was an ass to you. You work harder than anyone, but you never seem to see your own worth.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “You have no idea how much I need you.”

 

               “Iwa-chan,” Oikawa whispered. When Hajime looked up at him, there were tears in his eyes.

 

               “I love you, you idiot,” Hajime murmured, and Oikawa let out a sob. Without another word, Hajime opened his arms and allowed Oikawa to crawl into his embrace.

 

               “ _Hajime,”_ Oikawa whispered. One hand curled into a fist around Hajime’s shirt while the other ghosted along his hip. Slightly surprised – but by no means upset – Hajime bent his head to press a kiss behind Oikawa’s ear. “Hajime, please, I-“

 

               “Shh,” Hajime soothed, running a hand up Oikawa’s back. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” Shifting him carefully onto his back, Hajime worked Oikawa’s tie off, followed by his sweater. He kissed each bit of skin as it was revealed, breathing in the scent of Oikawa’s sweat and flowery body wash. When he reached the top of Oikawa’s chest he pulled back enough to allow Oikawa to sit up and pull the sweater over his head. He eased Oikawa back onto the mattress and started kissing down his neck.

 

               Oikawa had beautiful skin. Every inch of it was smooth and soft, the pale perfection of it interrupted here and there by bruises from practice. Underneath, his muscles were toned and strong, but never bulky. He was so slender next to Hajime, even to the point of seeming willowy. Oikawa’s breath was starting to hitch as Hajime stopped at the base of his neck and started sucking.

 

               “Iwa-chan,” he gasped. Hajime released the skin between his teeth with a pop, looking down with satisfaction at the purplish mark he had left behind. He leaned up to kiss at Oikawa’s cheeks, smoothing the tears away with his lips only for them to be quickly replaced with fresh ones.

 

               “I wish you could see how beautiful you are,” Hajime murmured. He sat up and swung a leg over Oikawa’s hips, straddling him. “Not just your face – though you are so pretty, Tooru. I mean what a beautiful person you are. He sighed and ran a hand down Oikawa’s chest, smoothing over to thumb at his hipbones. “That’s what none of those girls know. They think you’re just some pretty boy who happens to be good at volleyball.” Oikawa’s face screwed up at that, just a bit, and Hajime leaned down to press a kiss to the center of his chest. “But you’re more than that,” he said against Oikawa’s skin. “You are so much more than what they see, Tooru. I’ll spend my entire life showing you that.” Oikawa let out another sob at that, and Hajime took it as his cue to move further down his body. He paused here and there, licking, kissing, nipping at places that made Oikawa’s breath catch or his voice crack. He spent an extra long moment on the spot on Oikawa’s left hipbone, just below where his volleyball shorts sat. “So beautiful,” he whispered.

 

               He pulled down Oikawa’s pants with care, revealing the space boxers that he only ever wore when he was feeling especially down about himself – though he never seemed to realize this. Hajime tossed the pants off to one side and nuzzled his face against Oikawa’s hips, his cheek brushing at the growing bulge there. Locking his eyes on Oikawa’s teary ones, he turned his head slightly and placed an open-mouthed kiss at the tip of Oikawa’s cock through the fabric.

              

               “Hajime,” whined Oikawa, and for once Hajime complied. He curled his fingers in Oikawa’s waistband and drew the cloth down his thighs, taking special care with his bad knee. As soon as they were off one ankle, Oikawa curled his legs around Hajime’s waist and tugged him close. He reached out toward Hajime’s pants, but Hajime shook his head and leaned back.

 

               “Later,” he said, sliding down to settle on his stomach between Oikawa’s thighs. He brought one hand up to wrap around the base of Oikawa’s cock, the other sliding up and down his thigh. “I love you,” he said, then wrapped his lips around Oikawa. Tears were leaking down Oikawa’s face more too quickly to discern one from another. His eyes were puffy and his nose was red and leaking, and Hajime was so, so in love with him.

 

               Oikawa’s entire body arched up off the bed and he let out a choking gasp. Hajime groaned around his mouthful. Oikawa’s hands snaked down and fisted in her hair. Hajime groaned again, nearly drowned out by Oikawa crying out in pleasure. He took a deep breath through his nose and started easing down the shaft, hollowing his cheeks as he went.

 

               It wasn’t like he had expected it to last long; an emotional Oikawa was always a sensitive one. But when Oikawa clawed at his head and came before Hajime even bottomed out, it took them both by surprise.

 

               “Oh my god, Iwa-chan, I am so s-sorry,” Oikawa sobbed, burying his face in his hands. Hajime blinked and wiped the bit of cum that had leaked onto his chin away, then all at once burst out laughing. Oikawa stiffened and peeked at him through the gaps in his fingers. Hajime gathered his legs under him and launched himself up the bed, landing on top of Oikawa and wrapping his arms around him.

 

               “I love you,” he giggled, and Oikawa slowly relaxed.

 

               “Mean Iwa-chan!” he whined. “Don’t laugh!” Hajime collected himself enough to look at Oikawa’s face, still stained with tear tracks, but clear of the crushing sadness that had been there before. They stared at each other for a moment before they both burst out laughing.

 

_Lachrymose – given to shedding tears easily_


	3. Vellichore - RinTori

6-17-15  
Prompt: Vellichore  
Pairing: RinTori  
Rating: G

The longer he lived the more certain Aiichirou was that some things were simply special. It had nothing to do with where they were or who or what inhabited them; they were simply places that were blessed with a certain air of holiness that was hard to find anywhere else. 

He had been knocked breathless by this feeling when he had stumbled upon the old building he stood in now. When he had found it, it had been abandoned and run-down, all but condemned for want of someone to take care of it, to fix it up and give it the love it deserved. Even the For Sale sign in the scrubby lawn had seen better days. Ai had pulled out his phone on the spot and called the number listed on the sign. A week later, the building had been his.

It had taken years for him to build this place up into the kingdom it was now. Years of loans and contractors and too few customers to pay his rent on time, months of ramen for two meals a day, all those long days moving his things into the third floor of the shop piece by piece because having a separate apartment just wasn’t feasible and if he had to choose between it and the shop, the choice was already made. 

And now, after all those years, all that work, he had a moderate, but loyal customer base and enough popularity in the town to draw in tourists as well as locals, and he was ready to share this place with the one person who had yet to see more than a glimpse of his upstairs bedroom. 

“There’s a step here, Senpai,” he said, guiding Rin with a hand on his shoulder. Rin chuckled and dutifully stepped up, one hand thrown out in front of him.

“Is the blindfold really necessary, Ai?” he asked. Ai stuck his tongue out at him before remembering that he couldn’t see it.

“Yes!” he barked. “I want you to feel it before you can see it. You can’t let your eyes be your first judge, and I don’t trust you not to do it wrong.”

“Oi!”

“Door!”

Rin slammed right into the front door of the shop, much to Ai’s chagrin and delight. “Sorry, Senpai,” he giggled.

“No you’re not,” Rin grumbled. Ai shrugged and reached around him to open the door and guide him inside. 

“I’m taking the blindfold off now,” he said, “but you have to keep your eyes closed!” Rin mumbled his agreement and Ai leaned up on his tiptoes to pull the scarf away. Rin was excited – his cheeks were pink and his lower lip was caught between his teeth. Ai beamed and closed his eyes too.

Wistfulness – that was the feeling he had always gotten from this place. Before he had started, it had smelled of dust and mold. Now, though the dust remained to some extent, Ai’s little shop smelled of paper and ink and cinnamon and something that reminded him of the big window seat in his aunt’s Western style house in the countryside. He could hear the soft music playing – instrumentals from all eras and styles. The bookshelves creaked slightly under their load and the fireplace crackled merrily. He could hear a few voices murmuring from the café’s seating area – an addition he had only recently made. Finally, Ai opened his eyes to find Rin staring around in wonder.

“Ai, this-“ he cut off and turned slowly on the spot. “This is incredible.” He whirled to look at Ai, a giddy smile on his face. “When you said you wanted to open a bookshop, I had no idea it would be like this,” he said. Ai looked around, allowing the pride to well up in him. The first floor of the shop and the open, loft-style second floor were stuffed with all the books Ai could get his hands on. There were cushy chairs all over the place, most occupied with people sitting and reading and sipping their coffee. A small kitchen off to one side sold pastries and drinks, and there was a strong fire going on the opposite wall. Ai smiled and looked back at Rin.

“It’s done now,” he said. Rin cocked his head in confusion, and Ai only smiled wider. “It wasn’t complete before. Now that you’re here, it’s perfect.” Rin grinned and threw his arms around Ai.

“That was the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard,” he said.

“But not the cheesiest thing you’ve ever said,” Ai giggled. Rin threw his head back and laughed.

Vellichore – the strange wistfulness of used bookshops


	4. Selenophile - TsukkiYama

6-23-15

Prompt: Selenophile

Pairing: TsukiYama

Rating: G

 

               There were some things, Yamaguchi thought as he leaned on the balcony railing, that made living in the countryside much, much better than in a city. The moon hung low on the horizon, full and orange. The eyrie was quiet this time of night, with only Yamaguchi and the late patrols left awake. He let out a soft sigh and leaned his cheek on his hand, wings ruffling into a more comfortable position behind him.

 

               “What are you doing awake?” Yamaguchi turned to see Tsukishima leaning against the doorway, watching him with a smirk.

 

               “Sorry, Tsukki,” he chirped. Tsukishima rolled his eyes, coming to lean his elbows on the railing next to him. Yamaguchi knew better than to comment when one silky black wing came to rest across his shoulders, but leaned into the touch gratefully.

 

               “What are you doing out here, anyway?” Tsukishima asked. Yamaguchi chuckled and shook his head.

 

               “Just looking at the sky,” he answered. Tsukishima smirked and drew him a little closer.

 

               “The sky,” he answered, looking up at the thick clouds that covered most of the stars. “Fascinating.”

 

               “Shut up, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi mumbled. “You know what I mean.” A silent chuckle shook Tsukishima’s shoulders and they fell silent. Near the horizon a pair of crows swept by, Tanaka and Asahi out on patrol.

 

               “Come on,” Tsukishima said, straightening out. “Let’s go for a flight.” Yamaguchi grinned up at him and hopped up onto the balcony, knocking his primaries against Tsukishima as he jumped off.

 

               “Oi!” Yamaguchi let out a wild laugh as he caught the wind, listening to the sound of Tsukishima chasing after him.

 

               They were neither of them small and nimble like Hinata or Nishinoya, but Tsukishima’s wingspan carried him farther with each beat than anyone else in the eyrie. He caught up to Yamaguchi in a matter of seconds, looping his arms around his waist and pulling them into a dive. A high giggle tore itself from Yamaguchi’s throat as he tucked his wings close to himself, looping his arms around Tsukishima’s neck and letting him maneuver him where he would. He closed his eyes and let the sensations take over.

 

               The wind which stopped whipping through his hair and feathers to settle into a gentle ruffle was the first sign of Tsukishima settling into a gentle hover. Yamaguchi let his wings unfurl enough to carry him out of Tsukishima’s loose embrace, so that they were soaring side-by-side. He glanced at Tsukishima, only to see him lit gold and silver by the rising moonlight. He looked away, willing down the blush that had come, sudden and unbidden to his cheeks.

 

               Tsukishima veered suddenly, and Yamaguchi followed without thought as they landed on a high outcropping of rock to the south of the eyrie.

 

               “I don’t get your fascination with it,” Tsukishima muttered, nodding toward the horizon.

 

               “Yeah, you do,” Yamaguchi giggled. “You just don’t want to admit it.” Tsukishima clicked his tongue.

 

               “Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

 

_Selenophile - a person who loves the moon_


	5. Duende - AsaNoya

7-27-15  
Prompt: Duende  
Pairing: AsaNoya  
Rating: G  
  
    Nishinoya knew he drew attention wherever he went. It was a fact of life, one of the ones that the team was built around. Tsukishima was tall, Hinata was short, Daichi was a dad, and Noya was attention-grabbing.   
  
    It hadn't been a problem before. He was more than happy to continue being his normal flashy self wherever he went. It was just that while everyone was focused on him they always seemed to miss the one who was really worth the attention.  
  
    Asahi was quiet. Asahi was shy. Asahi was frightened by loud noises. Asahi was everything that an ace should not be.  
  
    In short, Asahi was perfect.   
  
    So why didn't more people pay attention to him?  
  
    Teams who were initally intimidated by Asahi's height were quickly confused by his demeanor, if they even made it that far. More ofthen than not they moved on to the flashier players, like Noya or Hinata. Normally that was fine. But sometimes Noya would look back and see Asahi watching him with a strange combination of awe and sadness on his face.  
  
    Noya hated those moments.  
  
    “Asahi-san!” he called out one evening during post-practice cleanup. Asahi groaned automatically, crouching slightly and tucking his elbows in to his sides. Noya gave him the span of one grin before he took off across the court and launched himself into Asahi’s arms.  
  
    Asahi’s big, strong, warm arms.  
  
    Noya allowed himself one quiet sigh as those massive hands came up to hold him in place, cradling Noya perhaps a bit closer to Asahi’s chest than necessary.  
  
    Noya knew this place. Here, he was warm, and safe, and loved. Here, nothing in the outside world could ever cause him any pain. He had known from the moment he first saw Asahi, nervously introducing himself to the new first years when Noya had joined the team, that he needed to get closer to him. He needed to know this boy who was so huge and so intimidating on the outside, but who turned bright red and stumbled over his words around new people.   
  
    So that’s what Noya did.  
  
    By the end of Noya’s first year, it was well known that Asahi was his. No one, be they teammates, classmates, or opponents, was allowed to hurt his Asahi.  
  
    Okay, well, Daichi and Suga were, but that was irrelevant.  
  
    The point was, Noya had spent the entire year fighting tooth and nail to make Asahi see how perfect he was, only to have it blow up in his face at the end of the Spring-High tournament. He stood in the hallway, watching Asahi’s retreating back, wondering where he went wrong.  
  
    “Noya, what are you thinking about?” The whisper was soft, and so close to his ear that he could feel Asahi’s breath stirring his hair. Noya shook his head and snuggled closer, willing away the memory.  
  
    “Nothin’,” Noya replied. “Just that I love you.” Asahi chuckled. A sudden breeze alerted Noya to the fact that they were now outside the gym, moving down the path toward the foothill store.  
  
    “Your place tonight?” Asahi asked. Noya made a face.  
  
    “Nee-san’s cooking,” he groaned. Asahi chuckled.  
  
    “My place it is.”  
  
    Duende - Unusual power to attract or charm


	6. Sygyzy - TsukkiYama

9-16-15  
Prompt: Sygyzy  
Pairing: TsukkiYama  
Rating: T  
  
There was something about the way Yamaguchi poked his tongue out of his mouth when they were studying that made Kei melt, just a little. There was also something in the way those big brown eyes lit up every time he puzzled out the answer to a problem. There was something in his smile, something in the patterns of his freckles, something in the softness of his voice, something, something…  
  
Kei groaned to himself and rolled over, burying his face in a pillow.  
  
“Shit,” he whispered. “Shit, shit, shit.”      
  
He didn’t know what was happening to him. All he knew was that he couldn’t get Yamaguchi out of his head, couldn’t stop thinking about the slope of those shoulders, the length of those legs, the quiet grace of those fingers. It was as if there was an itch under his skin, where he couldn’t reach to scratch it. He wondered what it would be like to run his fingertips across Yamaguchi’s skin, to feel its texture against his palm for more than just a fleeting instance.   
  
Giving up, Kei rolled out of bed and moved to his desk, flicking on the lamp and pulling a book toward him. He was just starting to get into his work when there was a soft knock at the door.  
  
“Kei?” Akiteru opened the door a bit and stuck his head in. “What are you doing up so late?”  
  
“Just finishing some homework, Nii-chan,” Kei answered in monotone. Akiteru stepped inside and stared at him.  
  
“You finished your homework hours ago,” he said. “I watched you do it. What’s wrong?” Kei sighed and gave in, slumping backwards in his seat and swiveling around lazily.  
  
“I don’t know,” he groaned. “It’s just lately I keep having these weird… thoughts, and I can’t focus on anything else, and I can’t sleep, and I don’t understand why.” Akiteru hummed and closed the door, moving to sit on the foot of Kei’s bed.  
  
“Care to tell me what kind of thoughts?” he prompted, though something in his voice said he already knew. Kei slapped his hands over his face and groaned again.  
  
“There’s this person I’ve known for a long time,” he started. “We spend a lot of time together, and it’s always been fine before. But now I can’t stop thinking about them, even when they’re not here.”  
  
“Have you thought about this person like this before?” Kei shook his head.  
  
“I mean, we’re friends, and they mean a lot to me, but I’ve never been… consumed like this.” Akiteru made a low, vaguely amused sound, and Kei glared at him.   
  
“C’mon, Kei, there’s something you’re not telling me,” Akiteru urged. Kei bit back a retort. They had been working on things like this, and Kei knew it wasn’t fair to expect transparency from his brother if he wasn’t willing to give it himself. But there was no way he was about to tell Akiteru he wanted to run his hands through Yamaguchi’s hair and see if it was as soft as it looked. The longer his silence dragged the more Akiteru grinned at him, and Kei was sure he would go insane.  
  
“Alright, fine!” He snapped, and Aikiteru threw his fists in the air in victory. Kei bushed and looked away.  
  
“You don’t have to be embarrassed, little brother,” Akiteru said. “I promise whatever you’re thinking about, I’ve had thoughts twice as embarrassing.” Kei raised an eyebrow, and Akiteru nodded solemnly. “You can tell me,” he promised. Kei sighed and looked at the ceiling.  
  
“I keep thinking about what it would be like to- to touch them. Not in a sexual way” he said quickly, sitting upright. Akiteru didn’t react, so he kept going. “I don’t want to, like, be naked with them or anything, but I want to… just touch their skin. Y’know, find out what it feels like.”  
  
“You want to be intimate with them,” Akiteru said, and though Kei’s first reaction was to deny it, it made sense. He nodded slowly.  
  
“Yeah, I think I do,” he said. He looked up at his brother, swallowed all his pride, and whispered, “What do I do?”  
  
Akiteru smiled and stood, only to crouch in front of Kei, looking up at him. “You tell him,” he said. “Tell him exactly what you just told me. You know him, Kei, you know he wouldn’t hate you for it.” He stood and ruffled Kei’s hair, then turned to the door. “Oh,” he said, pausing just before he left, “and ask him if I can have that recipe for the cookies he made last time I was here. Some of the guys back at school have been demanding them.” With that, he left, and Kei was once more alone with his thoughts.  
  
It wasn’t until later when he was almost asleep that he realized that he hadn’t told Akiteru that he had been talking about Yamaguchi. He rolled over, muttering under his breath about nosy brothers who knew too much for their own good.   
  
  
  
Kei woke the next morning already pissed. He rolled out of bed and tugged on his uniform, storming down the stairs and out the door without acknowledging his brother’s greeting - or his existence for that matter. Kei was generally in his best moods when he was running on at least nine hours of sleep, and thanks to last night’s crisis and heart-to-heart he’d had less than four. As such when Yamaguchi opened the door over an hour early to find Kei fuming on his doorstep, he didn’t seem all that surprised.  
  
“Rough night, Tsukki?” he asked, stepping aside to let Kei in. Kei ignored him and stomped up the stairs to Yamaguchi’s bedroom. He flopped face-first onto Yamaguchi’s bed with a groan. He could hear Yamaguchi enter the room behind him and shut the door, laughing at him the entire time. “Alright, Tsukki, what’s wrong?” he prompted. Kei listened as he went to sit in his desk chair.  
  
“I’m having feelings,” Kei growled into Yamaguchi’s pillow. Yamaguchi gasped loudly.  
  
“Why, Tsukki!” He squealed. “You? _Feelings_? I thought I’d never see the day.”  
  
“I really don’t need the sass, Yamaguchi.”  
  
“Hold me. I might faint.”  
  
“Fuck off.”  
  
“Really, though, you are aware that feelings are a normal part of being human, right?” Yamaguchi’s voice had gone soft and serious, the voice he used when tutoring Hinata or helping Yachi calm her anxieties. Kei groaned.  
  
“I wasn’t aware that I was to be subject to these particular feelings,” he said. Yamaguchi snorted.  
  
“You sound like a textbook,” he giggled.  
  
“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” he muttered, too softly for the other to hear.  
  
“Tsukki,” Yamaguchi sighed. “Whatever these feelings are, they’re almost certainly natural. You’re not fantasizing about cutting anyone up, are you?”  
  
“Well,” Kei started.  
  
“Besides Hinata.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Not dreaming about marrying Aki-nii?”  
  
“Ew!”  
  
“Just checking!” Yamaguchi laughed, Kei’s very favorite laugh, and Kei wondered when exactly he had cataloged Yamaguchi enough to have a favorite laugh. A sudden thought occurred to him.  
  
“Hey, you’re a virgin, right?” he asked. Yamaguchi sputtered and made a noise of such extreme distress that Kei had to roll over and look at him. Yamaguchi’s face was bright red and his mouth was opening and closing. Kei watched him for a moment, then burst out laughing.  
  
“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi shrieked, covering his face with his hands.  
  
“It’s a simple question!” Kei laughed.  
  
“Well, are you?” Yamaguchi demanded, glaring at Kei through his fingers.  
  
“Yeah,” Kei answered with a shrug. “Are you?”  
  
“Really?” Kei stared at his friend.  
  
“Why do you look so surprised?” he asked. Yamaguchi blushed harder and lowered his hands, his eyes on his knees.  
  
“I just figured, since you’re so popular,” he said. “So, you haven’t-” He cut himself off with an embarrassed groan. Kei felt suddenly guilty.  
  
“Hey, nevermind,” he mumbled. “Forget I asked.”  
  
“No, it’s okay,” Yamaguchi said, looking up at Kei at last. “I just didn’t expect it from you is all. Does this have anything to do with what’s got you so upset?”   
  
“It’s normal for guys our age to want sex, isn’t it?” Kei asked, surprised by how desperate he sounded. Anyone else might not have been able to tell, but this was Yamaguchi, after all. He looked away, embarrassed himself now.  
  
“Not necessarily,” Yamaguchi answered. “There are plenty of people who don’t want it until they’re older, or don’t ever want it at all. Tsukki, what does this have to do with anything?”  
  
“I have this friend,” Kei said, silently daring Yamaguchi to call him on the ploy. “He’s never really been into that sort of thing, with girls or boys. But one day he realized he’d been thinking about this guy he knew and how he wanted… intimacy with him. Not sex or anything, just closeness. And that kinda freaked my friend out, because he’s never thought about that sort of thing before, and it’s not at all like all the people he knows are always talking about. So I guess he’s just kinda worried that he might be some sort of a freak.”   
  
“Well I can tell you right now he’s not a freak,” Yamaguchi said. “It sounds to me like he’s got a crush on this guy, but he doesn’t realize it’s a crush.”  
  
“But he doesn’t want to have sex with him,” Kei argued. Yamaguchi rolled his eyes.  
  
“Not all attraction is sexual, Tsukki,” he said. “And as long as the other person is okay with it, there’s nothing wrong with being in a chaste relationship.” Yamaguchi grinned suddenly. “So who’s this guy your, uh, ‘friend’ has a crush on? Do I know him?”  
  
“I’m not playing this game with you, Yamaguchi,” Kei groaned, rolling back onto his face.  
  
“Oh, come on, Tsukki!” He goaded. “You’re friend’s always been so stoic and unaffected! I’m curious! Who’s got him so worked up?”  
  
“You don’t even know this friend,” Kei argued.  
  
“That’s just bullshit,” Yamaguchi said. “I know all your friends, Tsukki. Hell, for a long time I was your only friend.” Kei tensed, sure he had figured it out. Then, “It’s that captain from Nekoma, isn’t it?” He crowed. “You two got along so well at the training camp, after all! Or, no, he’s not really your type, I guess. So then, it’s the setter, right? The one you were practicing with, from Fukurodani?”  
  
“No, it’s not Akaashi-senpai,” Kei muttered. “And it’s not any of the other idiots I practiced with either.”  
  
“Alright, alright,” Yamaguchi soothed. “Keep your secrets. We need to get to school, anyway. But Tsukki?” Kei grunted to let him know he was still listening. “Let me know when your friend gets over his gay crisis and asks his guy out.”  
  
“You’ll be the first.”  
  
  
  
Kei knew he had to do something when his senpai started noticing. Sugawara’s sly smirks and the eye-rolls from Ennoshita were bad enough, but Kei’s heart plummeted when he saw Noya and Tanaka exchanging a gleeful look. They came up on either side of Kei during a break, and he could feel the ill-intent rolling off of them in waves.  
  
“No,” he said in a dry tone.  
  
“Aw, don’t be like that, Tsukishima,” Tanaka said, slapping him on the shoulder.  
  
“We’re just trying to help ya out,” added Noya.  
  
“I don’t want your help,” Kei droned. “I want you to be very, very quiet someplace very, very far away from me.”  
  
“Ryuu, do you remember when we wondered what our cute kouhais would be like?” Noya asked.  
  
“Those were the days, Noya-san,” Tanaka sighed, placing a hand over his heart. “Now we have all this wisdom, ready to impart to those less fortunate, and yet we are snubbed.”  
  
“So how are things with Shimizu-senpai these days?” Kei asked. “Or have you finally realized you’re actually pining over Ennoshita-san yet?” Tanaka smacked Kei’s arm, grumbling something under his breath and blushing.  
  
“Ryuu aside, _my_ relationship is going just fine,” Noya bragged. “Maybe you’d like some advice from someone with experience dealing with more… timid people?”  
  
“Why on earth would I want that?” Kei asked.  
  
“Oh, no reason,” Noya said nonchalantly. “Just thought maybe it’d help with a certain flustered pinch setter, or something.” Kei had a comeback for that, he really did. Before he could use it, however, Coach Ukai blew his whistle and called for a practice match.  
  
  
  
That night was the third time in a row Kei woke from a vivid dream of sitting on Yamaguchi’s bed with Yamaguchi’s back pressed to his chest, his nose in Yamaguchi’s hair and his fingers tracing up and down the planes of Yamaguchi’s stomach. Kei resisted the urge to beat his head into the wall and resolved to handle this logically. He dragged himself over to his desk, grateful that Akiteru had gone home that day and was no longer there to butt in. He pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and a pen and across the top he wrote the words THE PROS AND CONS OF ADMITTING THESE INTRUSIVE FEELINGS TO YAMAGUCHI TADASHI. He stared at the paper for a moment, then began to write.  
  
1\. Utter and total embarrassment. Con.  
  
2\. Might get to feel how soft his hair is. Pro.  
  
3\. Someone on the team might find out. Con.  
  
4\. People on the team have already found out; might escape their mockery. Pro.  
  
5\. Might have fewer sleepless nights. Pro.  
  
6\. Have to talk about my feelings. Con.  
  
7\. Would join the vapid masses. Con.  
  
8\. It could make him smile. Pro.  
  
9\. He might reciprocate. Pro.  
  
10\. He might not reciprocate. Ambiguous.  
  
10-a. Our current relationship might become strained and awkward, effectively ruining the only genuine friendship I have. Con.  
  
11\. Yamaguchi is a smart guy and might have a way to stop and/or redirect these urges if not reciprocated. Pro.  
  
Kei leaned back in his chair and studied the list carefully. Five cons, six pros, and one ambiguous result. Not enough to form a decisive slant one way or the other. Kei let his head drop to his desk. He should have figured he wouldn’t be able to apply math in a situation like this. He glanced at his clock. 3:42 am. Yamaguchi would be asleep right now, curled around his pillow with his cheek and hair smushed up on one side. He would probably be drooling. Kei wasn’t sure why that thought made him feel so warm, but he knew that therein lay his answer. He moved to his closet to pull on a jacket and shoes then crept out of the house.  
  
  
  
It took Kei three calls and four series of knocks on Yamaguchi’s window to wake him up. Yamaguchi rolled over and stared blearily at him perched on the tree outside his room, then scrambled over to open the window.  
  
“Tsukki, are you insane?” he hissed as Kei crawled into his room.  
  
“Probably,” Kei answered with a shrug.  
  
“What the hell are you doing here?” Kei straightened up and looked, really looked at his friend.   
  
Yamaguchi slept in an over-large tshirt and a loose pair of shorts. His hair was a mess and there was dried drool on his cheek. His eyes were not quite focused and he was blinking slowly.   
  
He was _covered_ in freckles, from his nose all the way down to the tops of his feet. His arms, shoulders in particular, had gained definition recently, as had his calves. He yawned hugely and ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up further.  
  
“I think I might be falling in love with you,” Kei said at last. He furrowed his brow, thinking over the words. They sounded right, but he had never thought about them before, so he couldn’t be sure. He looked up to see Yamaguchi gawping at him.   
  
“Tsukki?” he whispered.  
  
“See,” Kei continued, sitting on Yamaguchi’s bed and leaning with his elbows on his knees, “I’m not really sure. I’ve never been in love before, or anything close to it. For a while I thought I never would be. But I’ve been trying to figure all this out over the past couple of days, and I realized tonight that it’s not fair to you to get your advice when you don’t even know that it’s you that I’m talking about. But then I was worried because I wasn’t sure how you’d react. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship unless I knew it would be worth the risk, but if I’m not really in love with you then I’m not sure it would be. And, well, I told you that you’d be the first to know if I ever talked to the guy I had a crush on, so I had to come over before I did something stupid, or Tanaka got to you first, and-” He sighed. “Say something?”  
  
Whatever he had expected Yamaguchi to do, it hadn’t been to snort. He glared up at his friend, only to see him doubled over, shaking with laughter.  
  
“Oi!” he barked. “Don’t laugh! I’m being serious.”  
  
“I know!” Yamaguchi wheezed. “I’ve known the whole time! Do you have any idea how hard it was to keep a straight face yesterday? You kept going on and on about ‘I have this friend’ and oh my god, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi looked up at him with so much mirth in his eyes that Kei’s heart skipped a beat. “You’re so dumb, Tsukki.” Kei’s heart sank into his stomach and he nodded, studying a patch of Yamaguchi’s floor.  
  
“Okay,” he said softly. “Sorry I woke you.” With that, he stood and started toward the window. Yamaguchi laughed even harder behind him, and Kei tried to ignore the way his eyes burned.  
  
“Oh my god get back here, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said, his tone exasperated and fond. “You don’t honestly think I’m rejecting you, do you?” Kei stiffened.  
  
“What am I supposed to think?” he demanded. “You can’t just _laugh_ at someone like that, it’s-” He was interrupted by Yamaguchi turning him around by the shoulders and crowding him against the wall.  
  
“Tsukishima Kei,” he said seriously, staring up at Kei with the moon glinting off his eyes. “I have been your best friend since we were six. I would never, never do something that cruel to you, even if I wasn’t hopelessly in love with you.” Kei stared at him in shock for a moment, then started sputtering.  
  
“Why didn’t you say something?” he shrieked. Yamaguchi smiled softly.  
  
“You weren’t interested in that sort of thing,” he answered. “And then you had to sort out your own feelings before you could spend time thinking about mine, so I figured it would be best if I kept quiet.” He broke out into a grin. “Besides, I’m telling you now.” Kei stuttered out something inarticulate, his thoughts all tripping over each other as he tried to catch up, tried to process that Yamaguchi didn’t hate him, that Yamaguchi loved him, that Yamaguchi was right there, so fucking close, and Kei could just reach out and touch him if he wasn’t so fucking embarrassed and-  
  
“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” he managed at last. Yamaguchi threw his head back and laughed, and Kei found himself laughing along. His legs started to shake and they folded in on themselves as Kei slid down the wall, landing in a heap. Yamaguchi followed, burying his laughter in Kei’s shoulder. Kei wrapped his arms around Yamaguchi and something inside him soothed and stilled.   
  
When they eventually fell quiet Yamaguchi sighed and nuzzled his head into Kei’s collar. Kei closed his eyes and listened to the warmth filling Yamaguchi’s voice as he spoke.  
  
“You really are an idiot, though.”  
  
  
 _Sygyzy - the alignment of two celestial bodies_


	7. Kaleidoscopic - AsaNoya

10-7-15  
Prompt: Kaleidoscopic  
Pairing: AsaNoya  
Rating: G  
  
In the early mornings, during training camps or on the bus to away games, Nishinoya was a pale orange. He took up the least space in the moments just before or after the sun rose, usually curling in his seat or in a corner of his futon or against a wall in the gym and watching everything around him with big, quiet eyes.  
  
At midmorning, Nishinoya was dark green. He was all the depth of a forest, and all its strength and its silent power. He was all its life and its boundless energy. He played the best volleyball around ten am, moving with the flashy grace that characterized his every moment, but also with a quiet intensity, the sinuous deliberation of some sort of jungle cat.  
  
After lunch, Nishinoya was gold. He shimmered and caught everyone’s eye, bouncing loudly from place to place. He was dazzling, almost difficult to look at. When the sun was at its highest point, he reflected its energy tenfold.  
  
Just before dinner, Nishinoya was red. The energy of lunch would wear off, leaving only intensity. This was the best time to set a problem in front of him. He could puzzle out anything because he was calm enough and determined enough to actually sit and think about it. That was when the sharp eye and incredible sense he had on the court was best put to use.  
  
After dinner, Nishinoya was pale blue. He loved to gather up his friends or his kouhai or anyone he could find, really, and tell stories. He sat everyone in a circle and told them about the past and the future and worlds that could possibly be real, if they just believed him for a moment longer.   
  
When the sun went down, Nishinoya was purple. He was emerging bruises and taunts and jokes, bedtime stories to Hinata’s little sister and stargazing on the hill behind Tanaka’s house. He was the proud look on Daichi’s face when the team did well, the softness in Yamaguchi’s eyes when someone needed help, the gleam of Yachi’s smile when she was simply too happy for words.   
  
At night, curled in Asahi’s arms with his head tucked under Asahi’s chest, Nishioya was white. He was starlight, he was sunlight, he was freshly fallen snow. When he mumbled in his sleep and pressed closer to Asahi, he was the foam of a roaring waterfall and the fur of a newborn kitten.   
  
  
  
Asahi was every color, all at once, and whenever Nishinoya looked at him, he wondered why it was that people could only see seven.  
  
  
 _Kaleidoscopic - continually shifting from one set of relations to another; rapidly changing._


	8. Monachopsis - IwaOi

11-5-15  
Prompt: Monachopsis  
Pairing: IwaOi  
Rating: T  
  
The dining hall was busy and loud. The library was calm and quiet. The quads and courtyards were a mix of the two.  
  
Hajime hated every last one of them.  
  
He didn’t regret it, though. No matter how much it sucked, he was convinced that going to university away from Oikawa had been the right choice. It’s just.  
  
He missed him.   
  
Looking around at all the students laughing and talking and gesturing and walking and studying and _living their lives_ , Hajime felt Oikawa’s absence like an open wound. He loved this university. He had chosen it because it had one of the best veterinary programs in the country, and it wasn’t so far from home that he couldn’t visit his mother every now and then. He liked the campus, the faculty, even his apartment. He enjoyed his classes and the intramural volleyball team he was on. He knew he was in the right place.  
  
And so was Oikawa. He would thrive in Tokyo, blossom into something that would make the Japanese national team sit up and take notice. He was constantly sending Hajime pictures of his new friends and teammates, shots of his campus and the people and cats he saw there, even a few corny photos of sunsets and flowers in a park where Oikawa took his morning jog. When they talked on the phone he laughed more. When they video chatted he gave more genuine smiles than Hajime had ever seen out of him.  
  
They were each where they were meant to be.  
  
So why did Hajime miss him so much?  
  
As if reading his thoughts Hajime’s phone started ringing on the ground beside him. He picked it up and answered without checking the caller id.  
  
“Hello?”  
  
“Iwa-chan, Makki sent me the meanest text today, and since your school is only an hour away from his I need you to go beat him up for me.” Hajime found himself smiling as he listened to Oikawa’s persistent whine.  
  
“Do it yourself, Shittykawa,” he drawled, laying back on the wet grass.   
  
“Mean! Mean Iwa-chan!” Oikawa shrieked. Hajime chuckled.  
  
“Alright, dumbass, what did you really want?” Oikawa was quiet for a moment, and Hajime narrowed his eyes. “Oikawa, what are you up to?” he asked dangerously.  
  
“Okay, you have to promise not to yell at me,” Oikawa said. Hajime snorted and sat up.   
  
“What did you do?” he asked. Oikawa didn’t answer, but he did sit down next to Hajime. “What the fuck? What are you _doing_ here?” Hajime shouted. Oikawa grinned at him.  
  
“I missed you,” he said simply. “I saw you sitting down, but I wasn’t sure it was you, so I had to call to see if you would answer.”  
  
“Idiot,” Hajime scolded, but he was leaning into Oikawa’s side. Peace settled over him, along with Oikawa’s arm, and Hajime smiled.  
  
  
  
  
  
 _Monachopsis: The subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place._


	9. Anecdoche - KageHinaTsukkiYamaYachi

11-26-15  
Prompt: Anecdoche  
Pairing: KageHinaTsukkiYamaYachi  
Rating: T  
  
“So then Kenma hits it with his bow like _Fwoosh_ and Tanaka-san comes in for the final blow like _Gwuahh_ and-”  
  
“It’s not that difficult if you think of it like a story. Just assign the numbers different characters and-”  
  
“No, see, daisies are for innocence, and black-eyed susans are for encouragement-”  
  
“How does your brain even function? I swear, it’s like you were dropped on your head as a baby, you’re so-”  
  
“But then Lev showed me his volleyball shoes, and they’re so huge! They’re like twice the size of-”  
  
“Oh my gosh, what if I offend someone and they decide to kill me? I’ll have to go into hiding, and my mom will-”  
  
“When I was a kid I tried putting special cream on them, but then Tsukki found out and he made me-”  
  
“Give that back, you little shit! One of these days I’m going to take yours and put it up high where you can’t-”  
  
“Natsu keeps going on about how she wants to do Kenma’s hair, and it made Kenma shy, even though I told him-”  
  
“I’m going to have to live on the streets with no family or friends, and change my name and move to another country and-”  
  
“Yacchan offered to tutor me in English, which I really appreciate. I mean, I’m an okay student, but for some reason-”  
  
“Hold still, you’ve got something in your hair. How do you keep it so soft? Seriously, it doesn’t make sense-”  
  
“And then Noya-san bought me _four meat buns_ , and Tanaka-san said that he couldn’t be shown up like that and-”  
  
“Kiyoko-san’s so pretty. She’s always got boys following her and asking for her number, so I was worried-”  
  
“Aki-nii lent me a book that you might like, about spiking techniques. It’s actually for kids, but it’s pretty helpful and-”  
  
“Why are you looking at me like that? No, don’t get closer, your idiocy might rub off on me. No, don’t-”  
  
“ _Bam_! and then _Kuuraaah_ , and _Guah_! And Suga-san was _Whoosh_ , and then Daichi-san was on the floor and-”  
  
“Why was he staring at me? Oh gosh, he wanted to kill me! He saw me with Kiyoko-san, or with the team and he-”  
  
“I think I need to get my ears checked. I keep having trouble hearing the teachers, and I’m worried that it will affect games-”  
  
“Here, let me see that. If you hold it this way your penstrokes will be much smoother, and people can actually read your-”  
  
Tobio stared in fascinated confusion at his datefriends as they chattered at each other. He couldn’t follow anyone’s conversation, and watching the looks on their faces, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. He shook his head and closed his eyes, letting their familiar voices wash over him.  
  
  
 _Anecdoche: A conversation in which everyone is talking, but nobody is listening_  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Discover my word obsession on [Tumblr](http://notsuchasecret.tumblr.com)


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